CONFIDENTIAL BRIEFING NOTE FOR MEMBERS Board meeting 03.06.14 Re: Item 9, Infrastructure to 2050 Officers prepared the attached report for Deputy Mayor Isabel Dedring in May 2013. The report has not yet been published by London TravelWatch and as such should be regarded as confidential. Potential future transport projects in London Potential future transport projects in London Potential future transport projects for London May 2013 Potential future transport projects in London London TravelWatch is the official body set up by Parliament to provide a voice for London’s travelling public, including the users of all forms of public transport. Our role is to: Speak up for transport users in discussions with policy-makers and the media; Consult with the transport industry, its regulators and funders on matters affecting users; Investigate complaints users have been unable to resolve with service providers, and; Monitor trends in service quality. Our aim is to press in all that we do for a better travel experience all those living, working or visiting London and its surrounding region. But with the pressures of population growth, demographic change and economic development, the challenge of improving people’s travel experience is a constantly demanding one. With the publicity given to major projects such as Crossrail, extensions to the Northern and Bakerloo Lines and the Cycle Superhighway scheme, it is important not to overlook the potential benefits of smaller or less radical improvements. This paper has been prepared following the Deputy Mayor for Transport’s (Isabel Dedring) invitation to us to submit ideas for specific improvements – beyond those already in the pipeline - to help address this challenge Published by: London TravelWatch Dexter House 2 Royal Mint Court London EC3N 4QN Phone: 020 3176 2999 Fax: 020 3176 5991 www.londontravelwatch.org.uk 1 Potential future transport projects in London 1 Planning for London’s future London faces a growing challenge of finding sufficient capacity on its transport network to cope with increased demand as the capital’s population and economy grows, whilst at the same time trying to reduce the environmental impact of transport, and congestion, and to enable economic growth in London and in the rest of the United Kingdom. Current plans envisage projects such as Crossrail 2, extensions of the Northern line to Battersea, the Bakerloo line beyond Elephant & Castle into South East London, Tramlink to Crystal Palace and others, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) to Dagenham Dock and towards Central London, cycle superhighways and others that are already in the planning stage. London TravelWatch supports these projects as they will bring substantive benefits both to users but also meet non-transport objectives of the Mayor in terms of planning and regeneration, housing provision, supporting economic growth, enhancing the environment, reducing inequality, improving health (and access to healthcare), improving policing and reducing crime and supporting the arts and culture. However even with these plans, congestion is still projected to grow on London’s roads and railways: so what next? The Mayor through Transport for London (TfL) has a considerable array of policies and aspirations for long term planning for transport that are set out in documents such as Mayor’s Transport Strategy, the London Plan and TfL’s Business Plans. All of these have been considered by London TravelWatch at various stages in their inception and implementation, and these documents contain policies and aspirations that London TravelWatch supports. This paper aims to explore ideas and concepts for policies that go beyond these, and so does not cover projects mentioned above to which substantive resources have been committed in terms of planning. We have not sought to cost or prioritise our ideas– they are merely ideas as a basis for further consideration. The paper draws on previous work by London TravelWatch on small scale projects and potential regeneration effects of transport initiatives, as well as other sources. www.londontravelwatch.org.uk 2 Potential future transport projects in London 2 Principles behind concepts for projects We have used the following principles to develop the ideas for these projects:- Providing alternative routes for travel and opportunities for interchange that avoid central London Joining up current services better, so that more efficient use is made of existing infrastructure Reusing redundant infrastructure for new links Generating income through fares and development Making services more efficient and therefore generating cost savings The Deputy Mayor has indicated that schemes should also have the ability to influence wider Mayoral priorities other than transport, such as regeneration, reduction in crime, community cohesion and increasing employment. 3 Potential projects 1. Large scale projects with potential high impact and significant potential to stimulate growth and regeneration: Chiltern Metro West Hampstead Interchange Connecting ‘Tech City’ – a reinvigorated Northern City Line 2. Improving orbital public transport including:- North Downs electrification Tramlink extension to Orpington via Biggin Hill Barking to Gospel Oak electrification Plus Developing London’s outer rail hubs 3. Reusing redundant infrastructure for public transport and/or cycling Bow Church to Hackney Finsbury Park to Muswell Hill Mill Hill East to Edgware Belmont to Harrow & Wealdstone Croydon to Canary Wharf cycle route using redundant railway alignments between Crystal Palace and Nunhead www.londontravelwatch.org.uk 3 Potential future transport projects in London 4. Connecting London’s inner orbital and radial rail routes – a ‘string of pearls’:- Maiden Lane station for Kings Cross (North) Brixton station High Level platforms Brockley station High Level platforms 5. Connecting West London and increasing capacity to Heathrow Airport:- West Drayton to Uxbridge and Denham Airtrack Lite 6. Regenerating road corridor routes from central London 7. Cross River Light Rail transit 8. Smaller schemes with wider and bigger impact: Ticket gates at major inner and outer London stations The 10 minute interchange challenge Small scale step-free access at underused stations Tackling transport deserts – advance guard planning A single door-to-door transport service for those unable to use public transport Greater pedestrian connectivity at out of town retail outlets Tacking 100+ barriers to completing the London cycle network Rebuilding Seven Sisters station Rebuilding Silver Street station. The details of these projects and their potential impacts are set out below. www.londontravelwatch.org.uk 4 Potential future transport projects in London 4 Large scale projects with potential high impact and significant potential to stimulate growth and regeneration 1 Chiltern Metro 1.1 By the 2020s almost all of London’s rail routes will have no spare capacity to accommodate additional infrastructure without substantive demolition of adjacent properties or tunnelling. The one exception to this is the Chiltern route which in the 1960s and 1970s was reduced from a four track railway to a two track one. The route is also the only non- electrified main line route within London. 1.2 The route is characterised by the use of shorter length trains compared to other London rail routes and very poor levels of service to London area stations because of the limitations of the two-track railway. 1.3 However, reinstatement of a four track infrastructure and electrification would unlock significant opportunities to improve passenger services both within London and further afield in terms of journey numbers and journey times, as well as provide overcrowding relief on other National Rail and London Underground lines across west and north west London. It would also unlock significant regeneration and development opportunities at points along the route. 1.4 An alternative to four tracking the existing infrastructure would be to work with HS2 and Network Rail on reviving the use of the former Great Western Birmingham Main Line that runs between South Ruislip and Old Oak Common that it was originally intended would have been taken over by HS2. However, since the decision by HS2 to not use this alignment it would be possible to restore a conventional two track railway for local use between these two points. 1.5 Beyond Old Oak Common would be two alternative options the first of which is for Chiltern servicesto feed into Crossrail.Alternatively trains could use the alignment of the former Great Western North Acton freight route alongside the Central Line to White City and the West London Line that has not been reused since its closure in 1964. The land which the line formerly occupied is owned by the British Rail Residuary Body and so has not been substantially developed since closure. It would therefore be important to safeguard this route for future transport development. Access to the West London Line north of Shepherds Bushwould then mean services from the Chiltern route could serve the redeveloped areas around Earls Court, the Nine Elms Battersea Vauxhall opportunity area and Waterloo International station. www.londontravelwatch.org.uk 5 Potential future transport projects in London 1.6 The close interworking with the London Underground Metropolitan Line means that this line would also have the potential to benefit from an upgrade, by for example increasing line speeds and improving signalling and pathing of trains. 1.7